Neighbors will meet April 23 to discuss a developer's plans for row houses off Southeast 50th Avenue in Mt. Tabor -- a meeting both neighbors and the developer hope will bring a close to the frenzied fight to save an old paradox walnut tree.

Developer Steve Melkerson of Caliber Homes said Tuesday he has made changes to his development plans to save the tree. He said he now plans to build 12 units, down from 14, to avoid removing the tree. Once the units have sold the homeowners association will own the preserved green space.

A public meeting to discuss the new plans will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 23 at Tabor Space, located at 5441 S.E. Belmont St.

Want to know more about how the conflict came to be? Here are the details:

Melkerson thought he'd done everything right.

He designed row houses that had off-street parking for residents, and he had a letter sent to the Mt. Tabor neighborhood association on his behalf to notify neighbors about the development. When the neighborhood association didn't respond with a request to discuss the plan, he assumed the project would be free of controversy.

But a seemingly small error by the city led to upheaval neither the neighborhood or Melkerson saw coming.

Developers are required to notify neighbors about any project that involves constructing more than four units, said Jill Grenda, who manages the planning and zoning team at the development bureau. A company called Urban Visions sent the notification to the neighborhood via Southeast Uplift, but packet took about a month to reach the neighbors. By that time, their window of opportunity to request a meeting had passed and the city had issued Melkerson's demolition permit.

"He did do everything he was supposed to do," said Kareen Perkins, a permitting sections manager. "It was a mistake on our part to receive those plans without the neighborhood's signed receipt."

The neighbors acted fast once they'd received the plans, and the city put Melkerson's permits on hold.

"It took me a little bit by surprise," Melkerson said. "The big issue in Southeast Portland has been parking, and this proposal has private parking for each unit. I was confident the plan we were proposing would not get this kind of reaction."

Mt. Tabor neighbor Brian Mitchell said Melkerson clearly seemed frustrated. He said the developer told him at the end of last week he would put the property with the tree back on the market, but changed his story two days later. Mitchell said the developer told him he'd stopped listening to voice mails and responding to text messages about the tree.

Melkerson said it took a few days to reevaluate his plans, but he thinks the new proposal will please the neighbors. He eliminated a duplex from the original 14-unit plan, leaving green space for the tree.

"Everything that the neighborhood activists have asked for is going to be part of my plan," he said.